cold-shoulder 1 of 2

as in to isolate
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely cold-shouldered by his old friends after his family had lost all of its money

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cold shoulder

2 of 2

noun

as in dismissal
treatment that is deliberately unfriendly at the party the two former friends consciously gave each other the cold shoulder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cold-shoulder
Noun
And contrary to what Tyler might hope, neither would an American cold shoulder, which would only entrench Israeli hawks -- as Eisenhower's distant approach to Israel did to the hard-liners of Ben-Gurion's generation. Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2013 Apparently undeterred by Greenland and Denmark's cold shoulder, Trump announced Monday that his son Donald Trump Jr. was making an impromptu visit to the island. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2025 But a year ago, the veteran, who was draft pick in 2009, turned a cold shoulder to the Bronx Bombers, choosing to return to the Dodgers. Jon Vankin, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025 Constituencies that seemed tailored to endorse Carter gave him a cold shoulder. Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for cold-shoulder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold-shoulder
Verb
  • Series two, like its predecessor, suggests that a balanced approach is not about completely isolating work from life, but rather about establishing a dynamic interplay between the two.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • This has hallmarks of emotional abuse — non-physical behaviors meant to isolate, control and frighten.
    R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The defendants will answer Gastineau’s complaint and motion for its dismissal.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Mar. 2025
  • However, judges in separate cases have ordered officials at the National Labor Relations Board and Merit Systems Protection Board to be reinstated after similar dismissals, signaling continued legal battles over Trump’s authority to reshape independent agencies.
    Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • There are three teams that were snubbed that deserved to get into the field.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Rubio snubbed South Africa last month too, by failing to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting.
    Michele Kelemen, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • No guilt-tripping, no last-minute attempts to change your mind, no silent treatment later on.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
  • No spanking, humiliation, silent treatment, name calling, withholding of love and affection, or nonsensical punishments and consequences.
    Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
Verb
  • The Florida Supreme Court and a federal appeals court each rejected appeals to delay James' execution.
    Landon Mion, Fox News, 19 Mar. 2025
  • This idea of spreading the games out as widely as possible was rejected by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on Real Madrid TV after Saturday’s win at Villarreal.
    Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But the administration's efforts to abolish federal agencies authorized by Congress are likely to meet the same fate as their attempts to stiff USAID contractors.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Bill is a great character, all stiff back and prissiness.
    Laurie Hertzel, Boston Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Within the scheme’s first week, traffic had fallen by 7.5%, with 273,000 fewer cars entering Manhattan’s central business district, and travel times on inbound river crossings had been cut by more than a third, leading to faster bus journeys.
    Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • But dramatically cutting calories isn’t practical for most people.
    Alice Park, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Known for unmercifully calling out machismo through her music, Paquita became a guiding light for many women who have been wronged or slighted by their partners, or a patriarchal world.
    KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Each man feels insulted and slighted by the other; both have cause for resentment.
    Rachel Hadas, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cold-shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold-shoulder. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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